KABUL: Hundreds
of people were killed or wounded in violence related to Afghanistan's recent
presidential election season as the Taleban sought to undermine the democratic
process, a UN agency said yesterday. The United Nations Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that 85 people were killed and another 373 wounded
in election violence during the period from June 8 to September 30.

On polling day
alone, 28 civilians were killed and 249 injured. Children accounted for more
than one-third of the victims. Despite the high toll, Afghan security forces
said election day was a success because the Taleban failed to pull off any
large-scale attacks that stole the headlines. The majority of Taleban attacks
involved the use of rockets, grenades and mortars, as well as homemade bombs
planted near polling centres, including schools, the report found.

On July 28, the
same day as the election campaign started, militants targeted the office of Ghani's
running mate Amrullah Saleh in Kabul, killing 21 people and wounding another
50. "These attacks, along with public statements made by the Taleban,
revealed a deliberate campaign intended to undermine the electoral process and
deprive Afghan citizens of their right to participate in this important
political process, freely and without fear," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN
secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a
statement.

The casualty
figures are actually a substantial improvement on the run-up to parliamentary
elections held a year ago, when UNAMA tallied 226 deaths and 781 injuries.
Final election turnout figures have yet to be released but it appears
participation in this year's first round presidential vote is at record low
levels. Voters stayed away, wary of repeated Taleban threats to attack polling
stations and also despondent about the chances of their ballots being fairly
counted in a country that has seen systemic and large-scale electoral fraud.

The Independent Election
Commission however insists multiple safeguards including biometric verification
will make this year's vote the cleanest yet. Preliminary results are due
Saturday, though officials have suggested this date will be pushed back a few
days. The race is seen as a two-horse steeplechase between President Ashraf
Ghani and his top rival Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. If no one wins a
majority of more than 50 percent, the elections will go to a second round. -
AFP